175 DISC

Veterinary Dermatology 2000, 11, 4951

Short communication
Bald thigh syndrome of Greyhound dogs: gross and
microscopic ndings
POLLY R. SCHONING and LAINE A. COWAN
Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology and *Department of Clinical Sciences, College of
Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
(Received 30 March 1998; accepted 4 January 1999)

Abstract Bald thigh syndrome (BTS) is a disease limited to Greyhound dogs. It is characterized clinically and
grossly by bilateral hair loss on the lateral and caudal thighs. The cause of BTS is unknown but may be
associated with hypothyroidism or hyperadrenocorticism. Samples of skin, thyroid glands, and adrenal glands
from 43 Greyhound dogs with BTS were examined microscopically. Microscopic changes were characterized
by dilatation of follicular infundibula, presence of catagen follicles and epidermal hyperplasia. Changes in the
skin from these Greyhound dogs suggest an endocrinopathy as the cause; however, we were unable to conrm
which one.
Keywords: dermatology, dermatohistopathology, Greyhound dog, endocrine alopecia, bald thigh syndrome.

Ahed
Bhed
Ched
INTRODUCTION
Dhed
Ref marker
Fig marker Bald thigh syndrome (BTS) is a disease of Greyhound
Table marker dogs characterized by hair loss of the lateral and
caudal thighs and often extends to the ventral
Ref end
abdomen (Fig. 1). It is seen most commonly in racing
Ref start
Greyhounds and hair regrows when the dog is not
actively racing.
Hypothyroidism and hyperadrenocorticism are
the two causes usually suggested for BTS.1,2 However, these assumptions may be incorrect, because
treatment for those two diseases has given variable results.2
Necropsy specimens of skin from the lateral thigh,
thyroid glands and adrenal glands were obtained
from 43 Greyhound dogs that had been identied
grossly with BTS.1 Their age and sex was recorded.
Additional medical and historical information was
not available.
Tissue specimens were xed in 10% neutral
buered formalin, paran-embedded, sectioned and
stained with haematoxylin and eosin for microscopic
examination. Specic criteria recorded for the skin
included epithelial hyperplasia, size and number of
hair follicles, and presence of catagen follicles.
Criteria noted for thyroid glands included amount
of follicular colloid, follicular atrophy, interstitial
inammatory response and mineralization. Criteria
noted for adrenal glands included nodular hyperCorrespondence: Dr Polly Schoning, Department of DM/P,
Mosier Hall, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State
University, Manhattan KS 66506, USA
# 2000 Blackwell Science Ltd

plasia, congestion/haemorrhage and presence of inammatory cells.

Figure 1. Bald thigh syndrome in a Greyhound dog. Note the

extensive hair loss from the lateral thigh.
49

175 DISC
50

P. R. Schoning and L. A. Cowan

Of the 43 Greyhound dogs with BTS, 25 (58%)

were male and 18 (42%) were female. The mean ages
were 27.2 months for the males and 29.0 months for
the females.
Microscopic ndings were not uniform for all
Greyhound dogs with BTS. Common changes
included epidermal and follicular hyperplasia; dilatation of follicular infundibula, which often contained
keratin and hair; and the presence of catagen hair
follicles. Hair follicles in the catagen phase, recognized by their prominent tricholemmal cornication,
occurred in 32% of the BTS Greyhound dogs. (Fig.
2). Acanthosis and follicular epithelial hyperplasia
were seen in 57% of the Greyhound dogs. Hyperkeratosis was marked, stained brown and was often
mixed with debris.
The most prominent change was the presence of
comedones (Fig. 3). These dilated hair follicular
infundibula were lled with keratin and hair. Some
degree of follicular dilatation occurred in 80% of
Greyhound dogs and 30% of those dilated follicles
contained hair (Fig. 3). The dermis was composed of
intensely eosinophilic, refractile collagen. Circulatory
and inammatory changes were not observed.
Microscopically, the thyroid glands were essentially normal. Variations included colloid-lled follicles (18), a moderate amount of mineralization (23)
and follicular atrophy (4). Twelve glands showed no

Figure 2. Hair follicle in the catagen stage characterized by

prominent tricholemmal cornication (H & E stain 6 125).

Figure 3. Multiple dilated follicular infundibula lled with keratin

and hair. (H & E stain 6 250).
# 2000 Blackwell Science Ltd, Veterinary Dermatology, 11, 4951

variation. Changes of the adrenal glands were limited

to cortical nodular hyperplasia and multifocal
cortical inammatory cell inltrates. Nodular hyperplasia occurred in glands from 12 (28%) of the dogs
with BTS. Adrenal glands from 24 dogs (56%) had
no changes.
Bald thigh syndrome has been reported only in
Greyhound dogs. The microscopic changes observed
are compatible with an endocrine alopecia. Nonspecic changes of endocrine diseases of the skin
include hyperkeratosis, epidermal atrophy or hyperplasia, epidermal melanosis, and follicular dilatation
or atrophy.4
Hypothyroidism and hyperadrenocorticism, the
two most common endocrine alopecias of dogs, have
been suggested as the most likely causes of BTS.1,2
Microscopic changes for hypothyroidism include
epidermal and follicular infundibular hyperplasia,
mild to moderate hyperkeratosis and variable hyperpigmentation.5 More specic changes include hypertrophic and vacuolated arrector pili muscles, dermal
mucin, and a thick dermis.4 Although 57% of our
Greyhound dogs had acanthosis and follicular
hyperplasia, other changes described for hypothyroidism were not seen.
Microscopic changes for hyperadrenocorticism include epithelial atrophy, growth cycle arrest in the
telogen or catagen stage and variable but characteristic
comedo formation.5 Highly suggestive changes include
dystrophic mineralization, a thin dermis and an
absence of arrector pili muscles.4 In our study, the
presence of numerous, dilated follicular infundibula
(Fig. 3) suggested a diagnosis of hyperadrenocorticism.
Morphological changes of the adrenal glands and
thyroid glands neither conrmed nor eliminated
the cause of this alopecia. Nodular hyperplasia of
the adrenal cortices was seen in 28% of the Greyhound dogs. This is interesting, but not diagnostic
for, hyperadrenocorticism.
We also considered that the alopecia could
be related to changes in testosterone or oestrogen
levels. Although we know that Greyhound dogs are
sometimes given testosterone while they are racing,
we did not know the treatment schedules for these
Greyhound dogs. Furthermore, the specic eects
of oestrogen and testosterone on the skin are not
well documented.
Nonendocrine causes of hair loss include telogen
euvium, acquired pattern baldness, and post-clipping syndrome. We eliminated telogen euvium as a
diagnosis because it is rare, follows an acute
metabolic stress and results in generalized alopecia
sparing the face. Acquired pattern baldness, because
it is characterized by bilateral hair loss and because
we could not conrm BTS as an endocrinopathy,
remains a dierential diagnosis.
Post-clipping syndrome occurs in certain breeds of
dogs, such as Siberian Huskies, Alaskan Malamutes
and Samoyeds, and consists of the failure for hair to
regrow following clipping.5 However, our Greyhound

175 DISC
Bald thigh syndrome in Greyhound dogs
dogs had not been clipped. Also, hair growth in
Greyhound dogs is dependent on the time of year and
hair does regrow following clipping.6
In conclusion, the microscopic ndings in the skin
of these dogs were compatible with an endocrine
alopecia, such as hypothyroidism and hyperadrenocorticism, and also with acquired pattern baldness.
REFERENCES
1. Gannon, J. The bald thigh syndrome of racing
Greyhounds. Refresher Course on Greyhounds No. 64.
Sydney: University of Sydney, 1983: 2634.
2. Blythe, L.L., Gannon, J.R., Craig, A.M. Care of the

3.
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51

Racing Greyhound A guide for trainers, breeders and

veterinarians. 1st edn. Portland, OR: Graphic Arts
Center, 1994: 2745.
Schoning, P., Cowan, L.A. Gross and microscopic
lesions of 230 Kansas Greyhounds. Journal of
Veterinary Diagnostic Investigations 1993; 5: 3927.
Scott, D.W., Miller, W.H. Jr, Grin, C.E. Muller and
Kirk's Small Animal Dermatology V. Philadelphia: W.B.
Saunders, 1995; 602: 649.
Gross, T.L., Ihrke, P.J., Walder, E.J. Veterinary
Dermatopathology: a macroscopic and microscopic
evaluation of canine and feline skin disease. St. Louis:
Mosby Year Book 1992; 2738: 2857.
Butler, W.F., Wright, A.I. Hair growth in the
Greyhound. Journal of Small Animal Practice 1981; 22:
65561.

Resume Le syndrome d'alopecie des cuisses (bald thigh syndrome: BTS) est une entite rencontree seulement
dans la race Greyhound. Il se manifeste cliniquement sous la forme d'une chute de poils localisee au niveau des
faces laterales et caudales des cuisses. La cause d'apparition des lesions est inconnue, mais pourrait etre liee a
une hypothyro die ou un hyperadrenocorticisme. Des prelevements de peau, de glande thyro de, et des
surrenales ont ete obtenus chez 43 Greyhound sourant de BTS et examines au microscope. Les modications
observees regroupaient une dilatation des infundibulum folliculaires, la presence de follicules pileux en phase
catagene, et une hyperplasie epidermique. Les modications cutanees observees chez ces chiens suggerent
qu'une endocrinopathie est reponsable des lesions, bien que nous n'ayons pas pu en determiner l'origine.
[Schoning, P. R. et Cowan, L. A. (Alopecie des cuisses chez le Greyhound: donnees macrocopiques et
microscopiques.) Veterinary Dermatology 2000; 11: 4951.]
Resumen El s ndrome del muslo calvo (BTS) es una enfermedad limitada a los galgos. Se caracteriza
cl nicamente y macroscopicamente por una perdida de de pelo bilateral en los muslos laterales y caudales. La
causa del BTS es desconocida pero puede estar asociada al hipotiroidismo o al hiperadrenocorticismo. Se
examinaron microscopicamente muestras de piel, glandula tiroides y glandulas adrenales de 43 galgos con
BTS. Las alteraciones microscopicas se caracterizaban por una dilatacion de los infund bulos foliculares,
presencia de fol culos en catagen e hiperplasia epidermica. Los cambios en la piel de estos galgos suger an una
endocrinopat a como causa; sin embargo, no nos fue posible conrmar cual. [Schoning, P. R. y Cowan, L. A.
(S ndrome del muslo calvo en los galgos: hallazgos macroscopicos y microscopicos.) Veterinary Dermatology
2000; 11: 4951.]
Zusammenfassung Das kahle Oberschenkelsyndrom (KOS) ist eine Erkrankung, die ausschliesslich beim
Windhund gesehen wird. Die Ursache des KOS ist unbekannt, konnte aber mit Hypothyreose oder
Hyperadrenokortizismus verbunden sein. Proben der Haut, Schilddruse und Nebennieren von 43
Windhunden mit KOS wurden mikroskopisch untersucht. Histopathologie war durch Dilatation der
follikularen Infundibula, die Anwesenheit von katagenen Follikeln und epidermale Hyperplasie
gekennzeichnet. Die Hautveranderungen dieser Windhunde deuten auf eine Endokrinopathie hin, die
Autoren waren jedoch nicht in der Lage festzustellen, um welche es sich handelt. [Schoning, P. R. und Cowan,
L. A. (Das kahle Oberschenkelsyndrom beim Windhund: Klinische und mikroskopische Befunde.) Veterinary
Dermatology 2000; 11: 4951.]

# 2000 Blackwell Science Ltd, Veterinary Dermatology, 11, 4951